Disintegrating machine



Dec- 13, 1938-v E. J. R. cHENowETH '2,139,933

DISINTEGRATING MACHINE Filed March 5'. 195e klv Trae/weve' Patented Dec. 13, 1938 Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISINTEGRATING MACHINE Edwin J. B.. Chenoweth, Benville, Minn.

4Application March 5, 1936, Serial No. 67,318 1 claim (ci. sa-ss) y'This invention relates to new and useful improvements in disintegrating machines, and fmore particularly to such machines adapted for grinding grain and other material to be used as a stock feed.

It is now more or less common to intermix molasses or cod lliver oil with ground grain to increase the food value thereof. The most common 'way of doing this, at the present time, is to introduce the molasses or cod liver oil into the material, after it has been ground, and this requires that the ground grain and molasses ox' other liquid material be suitably stirred or agitated by suitable means provided for that purpose, in an attempt to thoroughly intermix the molasses with the ground grain, in order to obtain a uniform mixture. This mannerof intermixing the molasses with the grain has not proven very satisfactory, primarily, because of the sticky, tenacious nature of the molasses, which causes it to adhere to the ground material in such a manner that the material has a tendency to accumulate in lumps and, as a result, the molasses is not uniformly intermixed with the grain. I have found that if the molasses or cod liver oilor both are introduced into the material, incident to the grinding operation, that the molasses will be thoroughly intermixed with the ground grain, so that a very uniform mixture is provided. To accomplish this, I prefer to feed the grain or material to be disintegrated, and the liquid material to be intermixed therewith, to the grinding elements at substantially the same time, whereby the liquid material passes between the grinding elements simultaneously as the grain is being ground therebetween, whereby the liquid material will be thoroughly intermixed with the ground material during the grinding operation, and without necessitating additional operations for mixing the molasses or cod liver oil with the grain, subsequent to the grinding operation; as is now necessary. The liquid material will -also be thoroughly intermixed with the ground grain so that a very uniform mixture is obtained.

A further object is to provide a machine provided with a pair of grinding elements, each having a hollow shaft, and means being provided for feeding the grain or other solid material to be disintegrated through one of said shafts into the space between the grinding elements, anda suitable conduit being provided in the shaft of the other grinding element, through which the liquid material is fed into the spgoebetween the grinding elements, simultaneously as the grain is fed thereto, and. whereby said liquid will be thoroughly intermixed with the grain, as it is ground between said elements, and whereby additional agitation and mixing of the ground grain and liquid material may be dispensed with, thereby greatly'simpllfying the operation of mixing the molasses or cod liver oil, or both, with the ground grain, and at the same time, expediting the operation.

An object of the present invention, therefore, resides in the provision of a disintegrating machine having means embodied in the construction thereof, for simultaneously delivering grain and a suitable liquid material into the space between the grinding elements thereof, at thel axis of said grinding elements, whereby the liquid is discharged from between said elements simultaneously as the ground grain discharges therefrom, so that substantially every particle of the grain will be coated more or less with the liquid material before the ground material is delivered into a suitable receiving means.

Other objects of the invention reside in the simple and inexpensive construction` of the machine; in the novel mechanism provided for feeding the liquid material between the grinding elements, and whereby a plurality of different liquid materials may be delivered into the machine simultaneously in controlled amounts; and, in the means provided -for accurately controlling the supply of liquid material to the grinding elements, whereby the desired percentage or fquantity'of liquid material may be intermixed with the ground grain discharging from the machine.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the annexed claim.

In the accompanying drawing there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not-confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claim which follows.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, showing the general construction of the machine; and

Figure 2 is an end view of the mechanism for supplying the liquid material t'o the machine.

In the selected embodiment of the invention 'here shown, there is illustrated in Figure 1, for

purposes of disclosure, a disintegrating machine of more or less common construction, compris` ing a housing 2, which preferably is constructed of two parts, whereby access may. be had to the interior thereof. The housing is shown supported upon a suitable foundation 3 and has a discharge opening 4 communicating with a receiving spout`5.

Bearing pedestals 6, 1, 8, and 9, are shown supported upon a foundation 3,and the pedestals v 6 and 'I support a hollow shaft Il having secured.

to its inner end, a grinding disk lL-toWhich is secured suitable face plates I3 provided-with a grinding surface, as is well-known in machines of this general character. A pulley I4 is shown secured to the shaft I I, whereby it may be driven from a suitable source of power, not shown.

The shaft I I has a bore I5 in which is mounted a feed screw I6. This feed screw has a shaft I1, one end of which projects from a bearing I8, and has a suitable pulley I9 secured thereto, whereby the shaft may be driven. The screw I6 passes through the lower end of a suitable hopper 2|, into which the material to be ground is delivered, and from the bottom of which it is fed into the gap 22 between the grinding elements of the machine by the feedk screw I6.

A shaft 23 is rotatably mounted in the pedestals 8 and 9 and has a disk 24 at its inner end, similar to the diskI2, which, inlike manner, is provided with suitable face plates 25, provided with a grinding surface, whichL cooperates with the adjacent grinding surface of the face plate I3, to disintegrate or grind the material delivered between said elements. The shaft 123, like the shaft I I, has a pulley 26 secured thereto, whereby it may be driven from a suitable source of power.

The shaft 23 is shown provided with an axial bore 21, in which is shown mounted a conduit 28, the inner end of which terminates in an outwardly ared opening 29, shown provided in the face plate 25 of the disk 24, as clearly illustrated lin Figure 1. 'I'he opposite end of the conduit 28 is connected to a suitable pump 3I, comprising aA casing 32 having cooperating elements 33 and 34 mounted therein, adapted tobe driven by a pul,

ley 35 connected to a suitable source of power, not shown. The elements 33 and 34 cooperate to provide a gear pump for feeding the liquid material through the conduit 28 into the spacing 22 between the grinding elements I2 and 24. The pump 3I may be secured to the end pedestal 9 by suitable bolts 20.'

The liquid supply means is preferably constructed as shown in Figure 2, and comprises two hoppers 36 and 31, one of which may contain molasses and the other, cod liver oil, or any other liquid material to be intermixed with the ground grain. The lower or discharge ends of the lioppers 36 and 31 may be connected by suitable pipes 30, to the housing 32, as shown, and the pipes 30 are provided with control valves 38 and 39, respectively, whereby the supply of liquid material to the grain may be accurately controlled.

In the operation of the novel machine, herein disclosed, the grain is delivered into the hopper 2|, and is fed into the gap 22 between the grinding elements at the axis thereof. The grinding elements, it is to be understood, rotate in opposite directions and, as they are rapidly rotated and the grain is fed therebetween, the latter is4 ground or disintegrated by the abrasive action of the grinding surfaces of the disks I2 and 24, whereby the material is disintegrated or reduced, to the desired degree of neness, and discharged by'centrifugal force from between the grinding disks into the housing 2. v

Simultaneously, as the grain to be disintegrated, is delivered to the disks, a liquid material v is delivered into the space between the disks I2 aisacs livery of the grain, it will readily be understood that, as the grain moves outwardly from the center of the disks, and is ground or disintegrated therebetween, the molasses or other liquid material fed to the grinding elements will become thoroughly intermixed with the grain, so that when the ground grain is discharged from the space 22 at the periphery of the grinding elements, substantially every particle of the ground material will be coated with molasses, or what. ever liquid material is introduced between the grinding elements.

By thus intermixing or applying the liquid to the grain, simultaneously as it is ground between the grinding elements'IZ and 24, the liquid material is applied to the grain simultaneously as it is ground, whereby the usual operation of subsequently intermixing the liquid material with the ground grain, is dispensed with, and the liquid materialI is also much more thoroughly and uniformly mixed with the ground grain.

The apparatusy as shown in Figure l, is so constructed that the quantity of liquid material delivered into the ground grain may be conveniently controlled at all times, during the operation of the machine. Should it be desired to intermix both molasses and cod liver oil or some other liquid material with the grain, such material may readilybe introduced in the grain, in the desired quantities, by manipulation of the control valves 38 and 39. As shown in Figure 2, the liquid materials contained in the hoppers 36 and 31 are preferably delivered to the same pump, whereby,

if both molasses and cod liver oil is to be intro-4 duced into the grain simultaneously, these two liquid materials will pass through the pump, where they may become thoroughly intermixed with each other before being discharged from the conduit 28 into the gap between the grinding elements.

By introducing the' liquid material, as herein disclosed, I have found that variations in the temperature of the liquid will have little or no eect upon the operation of the machine provided, lof course, that the liquid material will flow through the valves 38 and 39 into the pump 3I. so that any liquid delivered thereto will be forced through the conduit 28 and into the gap betweenv the grinding elements, as hereinbefore stated.

I claim as my invention:

A food mill for preparing coated ground foods comprising a pair of opposing grinding elements having spaced parallel plates provided with coacting grinding faces, a supply hopper for food material to be ground, separate supply means for liquidcoating material, a shaft for one of the grinding elements having a passageway .therein and screw conveyer means in said passageway adapted to deliver food material from said hcpper in uncoated condition t'rthe grinding space between the elements, a shaft for the second grinding element havinga restricted passageway therein of substantially smaller size -than the rst passageway, said s'econdpassageway being adapted to deliver liquid coating material from the supply means to thegrinding space for application to the food material while being ground between the grinding elements, and pressure means for feeding the liquidcoating material through said second passageway.

EDWIN 'J'. R. CHNOWETH.

The pump is preferably of the pressure type 

